Chapter 32 He Wouldn't Choose Her
Jianyu and Anastacia were watching a Chinese movie when they heard the doorbell chime, they looked at each other. "They might have encountered a problem they can't solve," Jianyu said as he got up from the couch.
"I'll go with you," Anastacia reached out for the remote control and turned off the tv.
"Alright," Jianyu pulled her up from the couch.
"Let's go," he said after he kissed her lips for a while.
With his arm around Anastacia's waist, they sauntered to the door.
"Surprise!" Moriah exclaimed once the door opened.
Moriah chuckled as her eyes landed on her father's arm possessively wrapped about her mother's waist, "Did I spoil your romantic time again?"
Jianyu chuckled, "You didn't, you never spoil any of our romantic moments."
Truth to be told, Moriah always loved when her parents were spending time with each other and she never interrupted them. She often told them to go out for a date and spend holidays with just the two of them.
It gave her security that her parents loved each other and that both their love for her will never be taken away by a home wrecker.
"Come in," Anastacia said.
"Why didn't you tell us you're coming," Jianyu asked as they were heading to the living room. "I would have prepared your favorite food."
"I just want to surprise you," she didn't call him as he wouldn't relent until she told him why they were coming. Moriah wanted to talk to him about her leaving for China. She had a jittery feeling that her father would adamantly forbid her to go to China.
However, she had a solution in her mind and hoped that it would work.
"Alright, tell me what you want," he knew his daughter, she would come unannounced when there was something important she wanted to discuss with them.
"Mama," Moriah clung onto her mother. She was buying time as she was really nervous.
"Tell baba what you came here for, you know he won't stop until you tell him," Anastacia knew that Moriah was stalling.
"My dear, are you insinuating in front of our son in law that I am nagging our daughter?" Jianyu narrowed his eyes, pretending to be annoyed.
"Didn't you?" Anastacia chuckled.
Ethan silently watched Moriah as she was obviously enjoying the banter between her parents. Her green forest eyes dance with mischief.
"Yeah, I do," Jianyu defeatedly admitted.
"Baba, your nagging doesn't annoy me," Moriah hugged her father's arm. "I actually love it when you don't stop extracting the fact from me. You do that because you love me."
"Is that your preamble?" Jianyu flicked Moriah's forehead.
"Baba?!" She held her forehead as if she was hurt.
For a moment, Ethan's lips twitched before returning into his unreadable expression.
"Well, I I... er... the hospital received a letter from one of the medical universities in Shanghai inviting me to teach," she couldn't help but stutter as she somewhat thought that China was a taboo to their family.
Jianyu froze for a while and it wasn't long before he spoke. "I don't want you to go there."
"Baba, I'm just going to teach there for about 4 months, you and mom accompany me," she bit her lips as she silently waited if the bait was appealing to her father.
"Am I a fish that you tried to bait me?" Jianyu said.
Moriah's hand flew to her mouth, she didn't expect that her father could see her motive.
"Jianyu, why not allow her. You heard dad that he knew nothing about the kidnapping and he didn't try to kill us. Your ex fiancé must have moved on, it's been more than two decades now," she stroked Jianyu's arm.
"And..." pausing, Anastacia looked at Jianyu. "I also want to go to China with our daughter, I've been wishing to see Shanghai."
Jianyu turned his body to face Anastacia, "Do you really want to go there?"
"Yes," Anastacia's eyes twinkled like a star.
Anastacia and Moriah breathe in silently as Jianyu pondered for a while.
"Ethan, are you letting Moriah go to Shanghai?" Jianyu asked. He didn't want Ethan to be left out. She's his daughter's husband and had a say about it.
Though it was hard for Ethan to let Moriah go to Shanghai, he had no other choice but to let her. He just wants to make her happy even though it would be hard to spend nights without her.
"Yes, baba," he answered briefly.
"Will you be okay? Four months is too long," Jianyu was perplexed, if he would be in his shoes not being with Anastacia for four months it would drive him crazy.
"Baba, he will just be fine. He's got a lot of things to do in the company so he will be occupied and that would just a blink of eyes for him,"
'And he has someone who would accompany him while I'm away, he surely won't miss me. Perhaps, he wished I wouldn't come back.' She said in her mind.
Ethan almost coughed blood at her statement. She had no idea how he would spend his day without her. He would be without his sunshine on a grey and dull English day.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," Ethan schooled himself not to react or show anything on his face or voice.
"Alright, we will go with you to Shanghai," what Jianyu said made Moriah squeal in joy.
"Thank you, baba," she peppered her dad with kisses.
"Go and freshen up, we'll be dining in our restaurant," Jianyu said.
After Moriah had freshened up, she saw Ethan sat on a chair near the window with a brooding countenance.
She walked up to him. "Hey, are you okay?"
Ethan looked up to her, his intense gaze left her throat parched. She swallowed her saliva to lubricate her dry throat. She couldn't look away from him as if she was imprisoned by his gaze.
Ethan held her hand and pulled her to sit on his lap. She felt powerless and couldn't refuse him.
"Are you coming home for Christmas?" He asked her.
"No, I won't be home for Christmas as you know they don't have Christmas holidays in China," she loved to spend Christmas with him. But her belief that Christmas holidays should be spent with someone you love was preventing her from asking him to visit her on Christmas.
In this marriage, she was certain that she loved him. However, she wasn't sure if Ethan feels the same. Perhaps, he was just being good to her and didn't want a divorce because he gave his promise to her father.
She can't be selfish to him. He had someone he loves. The way his cold face became warm when he looked at Hazel. It was obvious that he loved her.
"How about me," he nuzzled her neck. Moriah bit her lips to stifle her moan.
"You won't be alone, you have Hazel with you," Ethan stopped nuzzling her neck altogether.
"She's just my secretary," Ethan said.
"But then she's your saviour," she retorted.
Moriah felt insecure, she had not done anything good to Ethan that would touch his heart. While Hazel protected him with her life. If times come that Ethan needs to choose between her and Hazel, Ethan would definitely choose a woman who willingly gave her life to him.